I've had this big tree at the back of my property along the alley since I bought the house. Almost three years to the month during an overnight windstorm, a huge branch was blown off the tree and blocked the alley (luckily not hitting anything on the way down). I didn't want that to happen again, and possibly take out a neighbor's car or fence or what have you. So I decided to have the tree cut down.
This morning, the guys showed up at 730 and a little after 1pm, they were done. Tree was gone. And as a side benefit, the hedge back there and another bush were trimmed down to almost nothing. But anyway here's a before and after pic:
Yeah, they're not the best pics, but you can at least see the sky in the second one, whereas the tree obscures it in the first one. And man, when the sun gets above the house in back, without the tree there, the sun just floods right into my kitchen window, nearly blinding me! But at least I dont have to worry about any of the tree coming down in the wind or during a snow storm.
Also, today, I signed all the paperwork to refinance my mortgage. Didn't want to report anything until it was all said and done cause I didn't want to jinx myself. But now it's all over.
Back in August, I decided to check into refinancing. I contacted a guy at Wells Fargo then and we had a few very short meetings to get paperwork and such, and then today, finally, I signed all the paperwork and it's all over.
In the old mortgage, I had 23 years left and was paying a 5% interest rate. Now, I have a 20 year mortgage total, at 3.75% interest, and my payment is gonna be $50 less a month than I pay now. That's the trifecta: shorter time, lower interest rate, smaller payment. And I managed to get them all! Yay, me! And as a side benefit, my first payment isn't until Jan. 1, 2017...so that means the next two month, I don't have a mortgage payment. That'll come in a bit handy when it comes to Christmas gift purchases.
I plan on still making the same monthly payment as I always have, and hopefully a bit extra each month. If I can do that, I'll pay off the mortgage even quicker. So anyway, that's the other really big news today.
On a smaller note, since it's Halloween, and since I've never seen it, I thought I'd watch "Hocus Pocus". But when I tried to Roku it, turns out the only options were to pay for it. Nope. So then, since it's Halloween and since I've never seen it, I thought I'd watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Upon checking with Roku, once again the only options were to buy it. Nope. So I ended up watching "Minions". Not a Halloween movie, but it was free, so there is that.
Last night, I had to stay up until after midnight to watch the Cowboys/Eagles game (went into overtime, but Dallas won!) so it was worth staying up. But I had to get up today early cause the tree cutters were coming. And somehow I did. But I have been SO tired. The last week or so, I've been trying to go to sleep early. I manage to get to bed before 9, but don't get to sleep before 11 or after....damn phone apps. hopefully I won't do that tonight.
POLT
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